Flush sliding doors and hardware therefor



Jari. 14, 1958 D.B.GROSSMAN FLUSH SLIDING DOORS AND HARDWARE THEREFOR Filed Dec. l0, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.' @HRW/N B. @Possa/IHN Jan- 14, 1958 D. B. GRossMAN 2,819,498

FLUSH SLIDING DOORS AND HARDWARE THEREFOR Filed Dec. 10, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 f I INVENTOR. Jg D few/'N B. /eossfvm/v l i BM im I Jan. 14, 1958 D. B. GRossMAN 2,819,498

` FLUSH sLInING DooRs AAND HARDWARE THEREFOR v Filed Dec. lo, 1954 4 sheets-sheet s INVENTOR. Dn/w//v B. GeossMH/v BY. E' .I

Jan. 14, 1958 D. B. GRossMAN 2,819,498

FLUSH sLIDING DooRs lAND HARDWARE THEREFOR Filed Deo. 10. 1954 `4 sheets-sheet 4 INVENTOR. Dm? w/N 5.,' GeossM/A/ NM/MM FLUSH SLIDING DOORS AND HARDWARE THEREFOR Darwin B. Grossman, NewI Rochelle, N. Y.

Application December 10, 1954, Serial No. 474,327

7 Claims. (Cl. Ztl- 19) This invention relates generally to sliding doors, such as areemployed on cabinets, closets, wardrobes, and in analogous environments.

It has heretofore been the general practice to mount sliding doors in the opening to be closed upon fixed parallel tracks so that the doors are operable throughout their individual paths in their own individual parallel planes. When such doors are closed adjacent doors are offset with respect to one another and produce an unsightly appearance.

The object of the present invention is to provide sliding doors which, when in position to close the opening, are flush with one another, i. e., occupy the same plane. The invention is directed to novel hardware for use in connection with such doors and for the combination of the doors and the hardware. i

Speaking generally, the sliding doors of the present invention have associated with them hardware embody ing tracks extending transversely across the doorway, in combination with switching mechanism whereby the doors will normally occupy flush relation in a common plane when in closed position, but may be moved with the switching mechanism into olset position, whereby one of them is alined with a portion of the track system onto which it may be slid for the purpose of opening such door. Said doorvmay be returned to the oiset position and into cooperation with the switching mechanism and thereupon returned to closed flush relation with the other door. Either door may be operated in this manner, so that either end of the closet may be opened as may be desired.

ne important feature of the present invention consists in a novel form of switching mechanism together with a novel disposition of tracks or guides, whereby the movement of the doors may be guided in all positions of their operation.

Another feature of the invention resides in the fact that either or both doors may be removed entirely from the door opening.

Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and appended claims when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. l is a face view of sliding doors equipped according to the present invention and shown in this ligure in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view on the line 2*-2 of Fig. 1, showing an upper track system and switching mechanism associated therewith.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the switching mechanism illustrated in plan in Fig. 2, this section being taken gen- I 'l im State ramt occupy when the doors are moved from tlush to oset relation and ready to be opened.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a section on the broken line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of one door and associated hardware.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a further alternate form of the invention useful particularly with very light cabinet doors. This figure shows the oor of the door opening with appropriate tracks for the doors and with hardware for use with such tracks.

Fig. l0 is a section on the line ltl--ltl of Fig. 9.

Fig. 1l is an exploded view of the hardware used in the structure of Figs. 9 and l0.

Fig. 12 is a modified form of one part of the hardware shown in Fig. 1l.

Referring rst to Figs. 1 8 of the drawings, i designates a door casing and 2 and 3 the doors which are adapted to close the door opening of the casing. The upper portion of the face of each of the doors is rabbeted at 4, as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 and in the base of the rabbets of each door are secured hangers 5. One hanger is positioned adjacent each of the opposite edges of each door and each hanger carries a roller 6 adapted to cooperate with a track system 7 supported on the under side of the lintel of the door opening by screws ii, as shownin Fig. 6.

The track system 7 of the construction of Figs. 1 8 comprises, in effect, four track sections 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d which lead from the center of the door opening with the track sections 7a and '7b diverging from one another in one lateral direction and the track sections 7c and 7d similarly diverging from one another in the opposite lateral direction.

The rollers 6 of the hangers S near the distant edges of the two doors 2 and 3 are adapted to respectively ride `at all times upon the track sections 7b and 7d, as shown in Fig. 2, while the rollers 6 of the hangers 5 which are near the contiguous ends of the doors when said doors are in closed flush position, are adapted to be supported at their upper ends on a switch plate 9. This switch plate 9 is pivoted intermediate its ends on a rivet 10 by which it is attached for relative pivotal movement to an attaching plate il. This attaching plate is secured to the under side of the lintel midway of the width of the door `opening my means of screws l2, so that the switch plate is mounted on a xed support for oscillation about the vertical axis of the rivet lll. The opposite endsof said switch plate carry depending studs 13 of the spool-like form shown best in Figs. 6 and 8 and, when the doors are in closed ush relation, these studs will be entered into slots i4 formed in the upper portion r of each of those hangers 5 which are positioned adjacent the meeting edges of the doors. By such engagement between the hangers and the studs 13, the meeting edges of lthe doors will be supported orhung from the switch plate 9. Figs. 3, 5 and 6 show the parts in this position.

Located centrally of the door opening l. and at the door is a switch plate i5 which corresponds in size and shape to the switch plate 9 and is secured to an attaching plate 16 by a rivet 17 which forms a pivot for the lower switch plate l5. The rivet 17 at the bottom of the door and the rivet lil at the top of the `door are vertically coaxial, so that the forward edge portion `of each door can be moved from the ilush position shown in Fig. 3, to the offset positions shown in Fig. 4 by merely pressing against the face of one door. Such pressure will force one door rearwardly carrying with it the corresponding ends of the switch plates 9 and l5, while the other ends of the switch plates will move the other door asian-Qs forwardly, so .that they will clear one another if relatively shifted in lateral directions.

The parts are Iso constituted that, when the Idoors are moved to 4offset relation, as shown in Fig. 4, the roller 6. of the khanger 5 at the forward edge of the rear door will be lined up with one of the track sections 7a or 7c, depending upon which door is pushed rearwardly. In Fig. 4, the right hand door 3 has been moved rearwardly and consequently the roller 5 thereof will be lined up with the track section 7a. If the door 3 is thereupon moved to the left in this figure, the roller 6 will ride onto the track section 7a before the stud 13 which is supporting that end of the door rides free from the slot 14 of the corresponding hanger 7 for the track sections 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d all merge into -a flat central portion 7e which will guide the roller to the proper track section. The door 3 may thus be moved in offset relation to the door 2 to a position back of the latter door to permit entry into substantially one-half of the closet or other recess back of such doors.

As the door 3 is moved into this position, the switch plates retain the positions in which they were placed so that, when said door is returned to the position shown in Fig. 3, .the slot 14 in the hanger 5 will reengage the stud 13 and corresponding stud 18 upstanding from the lower switch plate 15, shown best in Fig. 8, so as to leave the parts in the relation shown in Fig. 4. If pressure is now exerted against the face of the outer door 2, a forward edge of this door may be forced rearwardly `to bring about a corresponding forward movement of the contiguous edge of the other door until the doors are returned to the flush relation shown in Fig. 3.

It will yof course be understood that the description respecting the sliding operation of the door 3 is applicable to the operation of the door Z, except that the roller at the free edge of the door 2 will traverse the track 7c.

Each of the doors is shown as provided with `a depression 19 into which the operator may place his fingers in order to readily slide the doors and if desired each of the doors may be provided back of the depressions 19 or any convenient location with a stop, so that said doors will not overtravel in an opening direction sufficiently to `disengage them from their supports. However, should it be desired at any time to remove the doors from f lthe `door opening in order to permit painting or cleaning of the recess or to place an object in the recess which could not be placed therein if the doors were in hung condition, it is possible to entirely remove the doors from the opening. Should it be desired to remove the door 2, it is only necessary to move it to the right in Fig. 4 sutiiciently to disengage the stud 13 from the slot 14 of the hanger and the door may then be slid to the right until the roller near its left hand edge rolls onto the at portion 7e of the track, whereupon the door may be lifted free. The same result may thereafter be accomplished by drawing the door 3 forwardly and moving it sto the left. The doors may be returned to operative position by reversing the operations stated.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 9-l1, inclusive, which structure is primarily designed for use with light doors of cabinets and the like, the top and bottom walls of the door opening are provided with grooves or channels 33 serving as track sections which merge into one another at the center of the doorway and the adjacent edges of the two doors, when in closed flushed relation, are adapted to be engaged by bearers 34, each of which has a depending centrally located stud 35 which operates through slots 36 Iin an attaching plate 37 and are secured in holes 38 at the opposite ends of a switch plate 39. The attaching plate is provided with a peripheral skirt to provide a recess in which the switch plate is positioned and a screw 40 passes downwardly through the central holes 41 and 42 in the attaching plate and switch plate respectively to hold the structure in assembled relation and to provide for pivotal movement of the switch plate.

The structure shown in Fig. l1 is duplicated at both the top and bottom of the door opening and the rollers at the top and bottom of the door ride within the grooves 33 which serve as tracks at both the top and bottom of the door opening, the bearers 34 serving to support the rollers near the contiguous edges of both doors when the doors are in closed Hush relation.

The doors are operatedvas described in connection with the structure of Figs. l-S, inclusive, with the `exception that no hangers are necessary.

The structure shown in Figs. 9-ll is adapted to be used with track sections in the form of grooves or channels. lf this type of track is not desired, half round tracks may be employed with grooved rollers on the doors. In this case, the bearers should be shaped with convex upper edge, as shown in Fig. l2, to properly cooperate with grooved door rollers.

The structures which I have hereinbefore described embody many advantages. They provide for smooth Hush relation between the doors when in closed position with absolute concealment of all hardware entering into the mounting of the doors for none of it is exposed to view when the doors are closed. Moreover, either or `both of the doors may be readily removed, as hereinbefore described. The parts are relatively simple and are economical to manufacture and may be installed at nominal cost. The parts are so constituted that they will not get out of order and little or no maintenance is required for their satisfactory and continued operation over long periods of time.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms, but the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A sliding door installation comprising: an upper switchplate pivoted intermediate its ends for horizontal oscillation at the lintel of the doorway, a corresponding lower switch plate pivoted intermediate its ends at the floor on an axis of oscillation vertically alined with the axis of oscillation of the upper switch plate, studs at the opposite ends of each switch plate, doors in the door opening, each of said doors being provided in its bottom with a longitudinal groove into which the studs of the lower switch plate project, wheeled hangers at both upper ends of each of the doors, the hangers of the two doors adjacent the contiguous edges of the doors when said doors are closed being provided with slots to receive the studs of the upper switch plate when the doors are in flush position, said doors being movable with both switch plates from parallel flush relation to parallel offset relation and vice versa, and a track system mounted at the under side of the lintel of the doorway and comprising track sections which diverge in opposite directions from the center of the doorway, said track sections being spaced from the switch plate so that whenthe doors are in oiset positions the hanger at the free edge of the rear door will line up with one of the track sections, the hangers at the distant ends of the doors being at all times supported on one of the track sections.

2. A sliding door installation supporting a pair of sliding doors in a doorway comprising: a horizontal track system rigid with one of the horizontal elements of the doorway and embodying two pairs of track sections extending in opposite directions from the center of the door way with the tracks of each pair of track sections in diverging relation, all of said track sections being rigid with one another, a switching mechanism positioned contiguous to the central portion of the track system and including a switch plate pivotal on a vertical axis intermediate its ends, and doors in the doorway with the contiguous ends of both doors supported on the opposite ends of the switch plate independently of the track sections when thedoors are closed and in flush relation 5 while the other ends of the doors are supported by the track system, the contiguous ends of said doors being selectively shiftable through pivotal movement of the switch plate from iiush relation into offset cooperative relation with one of the track sections of the track system.

3. A sliding door installation according to claim 2, wherein the track system is located at the top of the doorway.

4. A sliding door installation according to claim 2, wherein there is a track section and a switch plate at both the upper and lower horizontal elements of the doorway.

5. A sliding door installation according to claim 3, wherein the contiguous ends of the doors are provided at their tops with wheeled hangers shftable through pivotal movement of the switch plate from flush door position wherein they are supported entirely by the switch plate into offset door position wherein one of them is in cooperative relation with one of the track sections.

6. A sliding door installation according to claim 5, wherein each of the doors is provided in its bottom with a longitudinal groove, and a switch plate pivoted intermediate its ends at the door of the doorway and provided at its opposite ends with pins projecting into the grooves in the lower edges of the respective doors.

7. A sliding door installation according to claim 5, wherein the wheeled hangers are provided with slots to receive studs on the upper switch plate when the doors are in ush position, said studs being shaped to suspend the contiguous ends of the two doors on the switch plate while the contiguous ends of the doors are in flushmrelation and while they are respectively moving to and from the track system.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 834,673 Hussey et al Oct. 30, 1906 FOREIGN PATENTS 714,761 France Nov. 19, 1931 

